Professor William Bosl of the University of San Francisco Collaborates with EMOTIV, Quantum Computing Inc. and Purple Point Neurodiagnostics to Advance Brain Health Monitoring

SAN FRANCISCO (September 26, 2024) – The University of San Francisco (USF) Data Institute has announced a pioneering collaboration led by Professor William Bosl, director of the Clinical Neuroinformatics and AI Lab (CNAIL). Professor Bosl is working with EMOTIV, a leading EEG and bioinformatics company, and Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi), an innovative, integrated photonics and quantum optics technology company, to drive groundbreaking innovations in brain health monitoring and analysis. These innovations will be tested and implemented with Purple Point Neurodiagnostics (PPND), a company advancing global neurological healthcare through active collaborations with hospitals and clinics in Africa and other underserved regions of the world. 

“Our goal is to transform brain healthcare by enabling preventive care through early screening and monitoring,” said Professor Bosl. “Low-cost, portable EEG technology, together with advanced computational tools, will enable new and earlier interventions to be developed, resulting in better outcomes. We are especially interested in putting new technology into underserved regions of the world where the impact on the health of communities will be especially great.”

Professor Bosl and EMOTIV share a vision of empowering individuals to monitor their own brain health while accelerating brain research globally. Their collaboration aims to pursue clinical neuroinformatics research to discover digital biomarkers for neurological, psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorders, leading to earlier detection and informing treatment plans. Powered by portable EEG technology from EMOTIV, this initiative will bring together neuroinformatics and data science developed by Dr. Bosl with the USF Data Institute and his collaborators at Harvard Medical School, with the integrated clinical experience of USF’s School of Nursing and Health Professions to create new approaches to ‘Cura Personalis’ - personalized care for the whole person. 

A seed gift of $100,000 was made by EMOTIV to the USF Data Institute Healthcare AI Initiative, which has enabled the Clinical Neuroinformatics and AI Lab to launch this collaborative effort. In addition to ongoing neuroinformatics and AI research, the lab has initiated a clinical site with the USF School of Nursing and Health Professions to develop clinical procedures that will be tested locally and in African clinics associated with PPND. 

“At EMOTIV, our mission is to democratize access to neurotechnology and create a generalized model of the brain that unlocks new frontiers in brain health and well-being for the benefit of all,” said Tan Le, CEO. “Our partnership with the USF Clinical Neuroinformatics and AI Lab advances this vision.”

Dr. Bosl is also pursuing novel approaches to EEG analysis using the pioneering computational and AI methods enabled by QCi devices to advance the ability to measure brain function even further. The goal is to discover patterns of brain electrophysiology that cannot currently be found by other means.

“The collaboration between USF’s Clinical Neuroinformatics and AI Lab, their Data Institute, the School of Nursing and Health Professions, and their partners at EMOTIV, exemplifies the kind of transformative work QCi stands behind,” stated Dr. William McGann, CEO. “Our EmuCore reservoir computing device is playing a pivotal role in enabling the advancement of neuro-AI applications, including early detection of brain disorders. This partnership reflects our commitment to bringing cutting-edge quantum and AI technologies into real-world solutions that can significantly improve the human condition.”

The partners in this collaboration are especially mindful of the needs of underserved and low-income communities. To this end, CNAIL has formed a partnership with PPND to take this new technology to low-income regions of the world for clinical testing and development.

“At Purple Point Neurodiagnostics, we are dedicated to providing quality, diagnostic neurological testing throughout the world, especially in low-resource regions where advanced technology is often not accessible,” said Lucien Kilonda, co-founder and CEO of PPND. “Our partnership with USF and the Data Institute represents our combined efforts to develop disruptive, advanced, low-cost neurotechnology for all people, especially those with the greatest need for care.”

As Dr. Neha Bhasin, USF Digital Health Informatics alumna and Clinical Director of CNAIL noted, “We’re attempting to redefine neuropsychiatric care by pioneering the use of EEG data. Our goal is to do fundamental research to discover biomarkers of brain dysfunction in EEG signals, then to make EEG more accessible and integrate it seamlessly into clinical practice, enabling earlier and more effective diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.”

These partnerships seek a significant advancement in brain health monitoring, combining Professor Bosl’s expertise with the innovative technologies of EMOTIV and QCi and the global reach of PPND. Together, they aim to deepen our understanding of brain function, offering new opportunities for research and clinical application, offering Cura Personalis to the global community.

For more information about this collaboration or to schedule an interview with Professor Bosl, please contact the Data Institute.

About the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco is a private, Jesuit Catholic university that reflects the diversity, optimism, and opportunities of the city that surrounds it. USF offers more than 230 undergraduate, graduate, professional, and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, law, education, and nursing and health professions. At USF, each course is an intimate learning community in which top professors encourage students to turn learning into positive action, so the students graduate equipped to do well in the world — and inspired to change it for the better. For more information, visit usfca.edu.

About the University of San Francisco Data Institute

The University of San Francisco Data Institute is dedicated to advancing research and education in data science and engineering, fostering innovation, and collaborating with industry leaders to solve real-world problems. For more information, visit usfca.edu/data-institute.

About EMOTIV

EMOTIV is a bioinformatics company revolutionizing the understanding of the human brain through EEG technology. Their mission is to empower individuals to gain insights into their own brain health while advancing global brain research. For more information, visit emotiv.com.

About Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi)

Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi) (Nasdaq: QUBT) is an innovative, integrated photonics company that provides accessible and affordable quantum machines to the world today. QCi products are designed to operate at room temperature and low power at an affordable cost. The Company’s portfolio of core technology and products offer unique capabilities in the areas of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, as well as remote sensing applications, and more, including the new EmuCore reservoir computer. For more information, visit quantumcomputinginc.com.

About Purple Point Neurodiagnostics (PPND)

With over 60 years of combined experience, the PPND team is dedicated to quality patient care, advocacy and education to improve patient outcomes and enhance the quality of life by delivering accurate, accessible, and compassionate neurological diagnostics worldwide. MindLight Academy offers ABRET-accredited neurodiagnostic training programs, including an online 10-month didactic and clinical program in Intraoperative Neuromonitoring. Future offerings in neuroinformatics and biomedical AI will be developed. For more information, visit purplepointneuro.com.